Tag: National Railroad Museum

Last Chance: Scouts Can Earn the Railroading Merit Badge in One Day at the National Railroad Museum on Nov. 7

Liz Van Pay

Last Chance: Scouts Can Earn the Railroading Merit Badge in One Day at the National Railroad Museum on Nov. 7


Registration for the Museum’s only Railroading Merit Badge Workshop of the year closes November 5th and is capped at 300 Scouts

GREEN BAY, Wis. – October 28, 2026 – There is still time to register for the 2026 Railroading Merit Badge Workshop at the National Railroad Museum on Saturday, Nov. 7, but not much. Registration closes on Thursday, Nov. 5, or sooner if the workshop reaches its limit of 300 Scouts and 100 adult leaders. It is the only Railroading Merit Badge Workshop the Museum offers each year.

In one day, Scouts can earn the Railroading Merit Badge by rotating through six educational stations, each covering a different side of railroading. Every station challenges participants with hands-on activities, including time with real, full-size railroad equipment, led by Museum experts and railroad professionals.

Along the way, Scouts will learn to identify the types of freight railroads carry and name every Class I railroad. Operation Lifesaver will teach them about railroad safety and signaling, and they’ll discover how a locomotive works, how a museum curates its collection, and how to plan their own trip on Amtrak.

“The Railroading Merit Badge program at the National Railroad Museum is designed to get Scouts in, teach them what they need to earn the badge in a single day, and get everything signed off to turn in to their Scout leader,” said Justin Lambrecht, Education Director at the National Railroad Museum. “And what better place to do it than in the shadow of a Union Pacific Big Boy and General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s World War II command train? Come for the course, earn the badge, and check out some truly amazing pieces of American railroading history that you won’t find anywhere else.”

No prerequisites are required, though Scouts are encouraged to read the Railroading Merit Badge pamphlet beforehand. The Museum provides blue merit badge cards, and a counselor of record will be on site to sign them. Cub Scouts are also welcome; their activities can count toward other awards but not the Railroading Merit Badge.

Workshop Details

  • Date: Saturday, November 7th, 2026
  • Time: Check-in 8-8:30 AM, closing ceremony 3:30 PM; Scouts may explore the Museum until 5 PM
  • Location: National Railroad Museum, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay
  • Cost: $15 per participant
  • Registration deadline: Thursday, November 5th, or when the workshop fills
  • Capacity: 300 Scouts and 100 adult leaders
  • What to bring: Class A uniform, weather-appropriate clothing, a signed first aid release form, a pencil and clipboard, a water bottle, and a packed lunch

Registration is online only at nationalrrmuseum.org/railroading-merit-badge-workshop. Spots are first-come, first-served, and Scout leaders are encouraged to share the opportunity across their councils before the deadline.

Questions on the programming can be directed to the Museum’s Education Department at nrrmeducation@nationalrrmuseum.org, or by calling 920.437.7623.

About the National Railroad Museum

Founded in 1956 and located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the National Railroad Museum inspires lifelong learning by providing dynamic educational opportunities through the preservation of railroad objects, engaging exhibits, and innovative programs.

Media Contact

Liz Van Pay
Marketing & Communications Director
National Railroad Museum

lvanpay@nationalrrmuseum.org
(920) 437-7623

Ride the Rails to the Pumpkin Patch at The Great Pumpkin Train, October 10-11

Liz Van Pay

Ride the Rails to the Pumpkin Patch at The Great Pumpkin Train, October 10-11


Families can pick a pumpkin, trick-or-treat across the grounds and join the daily Costume Parades at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay

GREEN BAY, Wis. – October 1, 2026 – The National Railroad Museum invites families to celebrate fall at The Great Pumpkin Train on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Every ticket includes a train ride to the Museum’s pumpkin patch, where guests choose a pumpkin to take home.

The ride is just the start. Ticket holders board the train at the time they select, then enjoy the rest of the day’s activities whenever they like, including:

  • Indoor stage entertainment by Jeff McMullen and Mischief & Magic Entertainment, plus balloons by Mischief & Magic
  • Crafts, including Make Your Own Spooky Name Badge, Venus Flytrap Puppets and Pipe Cleaner Spiders
  • A coloring contest sponsored by Green Bay 7Up
  • Trick-or-treating throughout the Museum grounds
  • Games for children of all ages
  • A Not-So-Scary Haunted House sponsored by LoyalITy
  • The chance to operate the Museum’s vintage handcar
  • Daily Costume Parades

Guests can also explore the Museum’s historic trains and exhibits. The event takes place rain or shine.

Food from Dos Chiles Catering will be available for purchase. On the platform, coffee and hot chocolate sales will benefit the Green Bay Sluggers 12U baseball team.

Tickets are $22 per person. Everyone age 2 and older needs a ticket; children under 2 are free. Proceeds support the Museum’s programs and operations. Tickets are available at nationalrrmuseum.org.

The fall fun continues after dark for older visitors. The History After Dark series offers a Behind the Scenes Tour on October 6 at 6 p.m., a one-hour visit to the Museum’s archives and restoration shop (considerable walking and stairs; closed-toe shoes required). On October 13 at 6 p.m., the Museum’s Lecture Series presents “Trains as Industrial Art,” the stories behind design-driven equipment such as the Art Deco-era GG1 electric locomotive, the Aerotrain and the E8. The new Lantern Tours explore the haunted history of the collection on October 8, 15, 22 and 29 and are recommended for ages 16 and up. Details for all programs are at nationalrrmuseum.org.

About the National Railroad Museum

Founded in 1956 and located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the National Railroad Museum inspires lifelong learning by providing dynamic educational opportunities through the preservation of railroad objects, engaging exhibits, and innovative programs.

Media Contact

Liz Van Pay
Marketing & Communications Director
National Railroad Museum

lvanpay@nationalrrmuseum.org
(920) 437-7623

Goats Are Back at the National Railroad Museum

Liz Van Pay

Goats Are Back at the National Railroad Museum


Museum partners with Goats on the Go and the Glorious Goat Ranch for a second year of eco-friendly shoreline care

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Sept. 29, 2026 – A familiar crew returned to the National Railroad Museum today. For the second year in a row, the museum is partnering with Goats on the Go and the Glorious Goat Ranch to bring a herd of goats to its shoreline, where they’ll graze away weeds and unwanted plants.

Goat grazing is a natural alternative to mowing and herbicides. Goats can reach steep banks and dense brush that are hard to maintain with equipment, and they eat many of the invasive plants that crowd out native vegetation.

The goats arrived Sept. 29 and will stay through October. Visitors are welcome to watch the herd at work from the bank of the Fox River. The museum asks that guests do not feed the goats, as they have enough to eat!

For museum hours and admission, visit nationalrrmuseum.org.

About the National Railroad Museum

Founded in 1956 and located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the National Railroad Museum inspires lifelong learning by providing dynamic educational opportunities through the preservation of railroad objects, engaging exhibits, and innovative programs.

Media Contact

Liz Van Pay
Marketing & Communications Director
National Railroad Museum

lvanpay@nationalrrmuseum.org
(920) 437-7623